Daily Archives: March 2, 2017

“This report presents a profile of the membership of the 115th Congress (2017-2018) as of January 4, 2017. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service. In the House of Representatives, there are 240 Republicans (including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico), 197 Democrats (including 4 Delegates), and 4 vacant seats. The Senate has 52 Republicans, 46 Democrats, and 2 Independents, who both caucus with the Democrats. The average age of Members of the House at the beginning of the 115th Congress was 57.8 years; of Senators, 61.8 years, among the oldest in U.S. history. The overwhelming majority of Members of Congress have a college education. The dominant professions of Members are public service/politics, business, and law. Most Members identify as Christians, and Protestants collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations are represented, including Jewish, Mormon, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Greek Orthodox, Pentecostal Christian, Unitarian Universalist, and Christian Science. The average length of service for Representatives at the beginning of the 115th Congress was 9.4 years (4.7 House terms); for Senators, 10.1 years (1.7 Senate terms). One hundred nine women (a record number) serve in the 115th Congress: 88 in the House, including 5 Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, and 21 in the Senate. There are 49 African American Members of the House and 3 in the Senate. This House number includes two Delegates. There are 45 Hispanic or Latino Members (a record number) serving: 40 in the House, including 1 Delegate and the Resident Commissioner, and 5 in the Senate. Eighteen Members (13 Representatives, 2 Delegates, and 3 Senators) are Asian Americans, Indian Americans, or Pacific Islander Americans. This is also a record number. Two American Indians (Native Americans) serve in the House. The portions of this report covering political party affiliation, gender, ethnicity, and vacant seats will be updated as events warrant. The remainder of the report will not be updated.”

“EDRM, the leading standards organization for the e-discovery market, announced today the launch of a newly designed website at EDRM.net. The redesign was initiated to reflect the new relationship with and branding of Duke Law School. Duke Law acquired EDRM in August 2016. “As the home for e-discovery resources and education, the new website is… Continue Reading

Cauffman, Caroline and Smits, Jan M., The Sharing Economy and the Law: Food for European Lawyers (2016). Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 23 (2016), pp. 903-907. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2925779 “Over the last five years, the sharing economy has enjoyed a real boom. One important example of this is the creation of numerous… Continue Reading

McKinsey – Book Excerpt – March 2017 -“The shift continues from the manufacturing economy of the industrial age to the digital economy of the information age, US national-security organizations need to transform as well. American military forces have been, and continue to be, the most capable in the world, but the national-security infrastructure, refined and… Continue Reading

BusinessInsider: “As a rule, misinformed people do not change their minds once they have been presented with facts that challenge their beliefs. But beyond simply not changing their minds when they should, research shows that they are likely to become more attached to their mistaken beliefs. The factual information “backfires.” When people don’t agree with… Continue Reading

Washington Post – Attorney general will step away from any probe related to 2016 campaign, including Russian interference. “The announcement comes a day after The Washington Post revealed that Jeff Sessions twice met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and did not disclose that fact to Congress during his confirmation hearing. Democrats had been calling for… Continue Reading

Inside Lou Reed’s Revelatory New Public Archive – Laurie Anderson, archivist Don Fleming talk complete, career-spanning trove of late icon’s papers and recordings – “Today, on what would have been Reed’s 75th birthday, Anderson and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center announced the latter’s acquisition of Reed’s complete personal… Continue Reading

“One People’s Project’s mission is simple: to research and report on who’s who and what’s what regarding right-wing groups, individuals and activities, and encourage society to be vigilant against them in an effort to diminish their ability to function and cause that society harm. We have been a go-to source for anyone wanting to learn… Continue Reading

77% say it would be ‘too risky’ to give presidents more power – “Large majorities of the public, Republicans and Democrats alike, say open and fair elections and a system of governmental checks and balances are essential to maintaining a strong democracy in the United States. However, there is less consensus about the importance of… Continue Reading

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